Oppo Reno 15 Pro vs OnePlus 15R camera zoom comparison

Telephoto cameras on smartphones are no longer hit-and-miss in 2026. In fact, some phones now deliver zoom performance that genuinely rivals professional cameras. Zoom is no longer just “good enough” on flagships and upper mid-rangers. In many cases, it’s genuinely impressive.

We recently spent time with the Oppo Reno 15 Pro, a phone that’s positioned squarely as a camera-first device. Naturally, we wanted to test its zoom capabilities, and we decided to pit it against the OnePlus 15R. The outcome was fairly predictable, given that the Reno 15 Pro has the advantage of having a telephoto lens, and it’s also significantly pricier. Here’s how the comparison played out in real-world use.

Oppo Reno 15 Pro vs OnePlus 15R camera specs

A quick glance at the camera hardware specs already hints at the result. The Oppo Reno 15 Pro is clearly built for this kind of test.

The Reno 15 Pro features a 200MP f/1.8 24mm primary camera paired with a 50MP f/2.8 85mm telephoto lens. There’s also a 50MP ultrawide camera, though that’s not relevant for this comparison.

ALSO READ: Oppo Reno 15 Pro first impressions

The OnePlus 15R, on the other hand, comes with a 50MP f/1.8 24mm primary camera and an 8MP ultrawide lens. There’s no dedicated telephoto camera here, which already puts it at a disadvantage when zoom comes into play.

Oppo Reno 15 Pro vs OnePlus 15R zoom test

At 1x, both phones deliver pleasing results with good colour reproduction and dynamic range. The OnePlus 15R tends to produce slightly brighter images, while the Reno 15 Pro opts for a darker, more contrast-heavy look. Which one you prefer comes down to personal taste.

Things change quickly once you start zooming in. At 3.5x, which is optical on the Oppo and purely digital on the OnePlus, the gap becomes obvious. The Reno 15 Pro’s dedicated telephoto lens captures far more detail, with better sharpness and noticeably improved highlight control. The OnePlus 15R struggles to keep up here.

ALSO READ: OnePlus 15R review

Push both phones to 20x zoom, which is the OnePlus’ maximum, and the difference becomes even more pronounced. The Oppo still manages a usable image, while the OnePlus output looks heavily processed and, sort of, like an oil painting.

The comparison effectively ends there for the OnePlus. The Reno 15 Pro, however, can zoom all the way up to 120x. While images at the extreme end aren’t particularly usable, shots taken around the 50-60x range can still be surprisingly decent for casual viewing.

The result, honestly, isn’t surprising. On paper, the Oppo Reno 15 Pro was always going to dominate this test, and in practice, it does exactly that. The OnePlus 15R delivers respectable results at 1x, but without a telephoto camera, it simply can’t compete once zoom enters the equation.

No surprises here, just a clear reminder that dedicated hardware still matters when it comes to smartphone zoom photography.

Which phones’ zoom cameras do you want us to compare next? Drop a comment to let us know.